Rock & Concrete Breaking & Removal

Vancouver Island’s Rock Breaking Specialists

Rock is a defining characteristic of Vancouver Island construction. Whether you’re excavating a basement in Victoria’s bedrock neighborhoods, preparing a foundation in the Gulf Islands, or creating utility trenches through solid granite, you need specialists who understand the island’s geology.

Pacific Group Developments has spent over 30 years breaking rock across every corner of Vancouver Island. We’ve developed expertise in multiple breaking methods—from powerful hydraulic hammers to silent expansion composites—allowing us to adapt our approach to your specific site conditions, access constraints, and sensitivity requirements.

The Right Tool for Every Situation

Not all rock breaking situations are the same. A wide-open new construction site calls for different methods than a cramped basement or work beside an existing foundation. We maintain a full range of breaking equipment and techniques to match your specific needs:

High-Production Hydraulic Breaking

Excavator-mounted hydraulic hammers deliver efficient breaking power for accessible areas. Our fleet includes various sizes from compact machines for tight residential lots to large breakers for commercial rock removal.

Expansion Composite Breaking

When vibration and noise must be minimized—near heritage structures, in dense neighborhoods, or adjacent to sensitive buildings—we use expansion composites. Holes are drilled into rock and filled with expansive compound that silently cracks the rock over several hours.

Precision Diamond Cutting

For concrete removal requiring surgical precision, our diamond cutting equipment creates clean, accurate cuts without the impact and vibration of breaking. Perfect for creating openings, removing sections, or cutting concrete into manageable pieces.

Hand Breaking for Detail Work

Pneumatic air hammers operated by skilled technicians handle detail work, finish breaking in corners, work around utilities, and access areas where equipment simply cannot fit.

Basement & Foundation Expertise

Some of our most challenging and rewarding work happens in basements and crawl spaces—confined areas where every inch of access matters and protecting the existing structure is paramount.

We specialize in removing rock from basements to gain additional ceiling height, excavating beside or under foundations without compromising structural integrity, creating drainage passages through bedrock, removing rock for utility installations, and preparing spaces for basement development.

This work demands specialized compact equipment, experienced operators who understand structural loads and soil mechanics, careful planning to prevent foundation settlement, and proven techniques developed over hundreds of basement projects.

Complete Concrete Demolition

Beyond rock, we handle comprehensive concrete demolition throughout Vancouver Island. From removing a deteriorating driveway to demolishing multi-story concrete structures, we bring the right equipment and expertise.

Residential Concrete Removal

Driveways and parking pads, sidewalks and pathways, patio slabs and pool decks, basement floors, old foundations and footings, and decorative or stamped concrete—all broken and removed with minimal disruption to your property.

Commercial & Structural Concrete

Parking lot demolition, loading dock removal, industrial floor slabs, retaining walls and site walls, reinforced concrete structures, and concrete building demolition with proper engineering and safety protocols.

Environmental & Urban Sensitivity

Modern rock and concrete breaking often happens in constrained urban environments or environmentally sensitive areas. We’ve developed practices that respect these settings:

• Dust suppression systems for air quality
• Vibration monitoring near sensitive structures
• Noise-reduced methods for residential areas
• Debris containment preventing runoff to watercourses
• Scheduled work hours minimizing neighborhood impact
• Professional communication with neighbors and stakeholders

Material Recycling & Disposal

Broken concrete can be crushed and recycled as aggregate base material—reducing landfill waste and supporting sustainability. We separate clean concrete for recycling whenever possible and ensure proper disposal of all materials at approved facilities.

Rock removed from excavations can sometimes be used for landscaping, retaining wall fill, or drainage applications. We work with clients to identify opportunities for on-site reuse before hauling material off-site.

Why Experience Matters

Rock breaking looks straightforward until you encounter unexpected conditions—harder rock than anticipated, hidden utilities, high water tables, or access more constrained than drawings indicated.

Experience means knowing how to adapt. It’s understanding that rock hardness varies even within a single property. It’s recognizing when to switch from one breaking method to another. It’s having backup equipment ready when the primary approach meets unexpected resistance.

We bring decades of this hard-won knowledge to every project, turning potential obstacles into routine challenges we’ve solved many times before.